The National Business Aviation Association could hardly have picked a more deserving recipient for this year’s Doswell Award than Georgia resident E. Patrick “Pat” Epps, president of Epps Aviation, especially with the convention being held in Atlanta this year as Georgia celebrates its 100th anniversary of powered flight. Named for John P. “Jack” Doswell, the award recognizes lifelong individual achievement on behalf and in support of the aims, goals and objectives of business aviation.
Epps’ connection to aviation goes back well before he was even born. His father, aviation pioneer Ben Epps, was the first person to fly an airplane in the state of Georgia (a canard craft of his own design) in 1907. An electrical contractor in Athens, he liked “tinkering with airplanes,” in the words of his granddaughter, Elaine Persons. He had eight airplane designs and sold airplanes. The airport in Athens is named for him.
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